Active Space Technologies, a space company based in Coimbra, has already spent more than two million hours in space, contributing to almost three dozen missions in favor of science and Earth observation.
“Many may think that this space thing is a waste of money, but in reality it has day-to-day applications that most people are unaware of,” defended Ricardo Machado, CEO of Active Space Technologies, founded in 2004.
The aerospace engineer joined Active Space Technologies in 2018, at that time to lead the Space Department, becoming CEO in 2020, shortly after this company was incorporated into Grupo Bel.
This is an area that has grown tremendously in the last four or five years. We are by far the first in the area of space, which is built with ‘inheritance’, with experience”, he highlighted.
Throughout its 18 years of existence, this company has already integrated around 30 missions, mostly from the European Space Agency (ESA), developing and manufacturing customized components with a high degree of precision for satellites.
These components are designed, manufactured and subjected to various quality, precision and resistance tests, from the Taveiro Industrial Estate, in Coimbra, where the two Active Space Technologies buildings are installed.
“Every mission is a mission. By this I mean that the structures we build are made to measure and only serve that mission, that purpose”, clarified Filipe Castanheira, who has been, since 2016, responsible for the development of the space business area, which has an institutional aspect. . (earth observation and science) and the commercial aspect (“new space”).
To the Lusa agency, he assured that the institutional space will be of enormous importance for the company in the coming years.
“These projects have a long duration, which allows us to plan and know that we have work for three or four years. However, we are always attacking new leads and we hope to have some more in the near future”, she highlighted.
Of the various missions that make up, Filipe Castanheira highlighted Copernicus, an Earth observation program of the European Union, which analyzes the planet and its environment for the benefit of all European citizens. It offers information services based on satellite Earth observation and ‘in situ’ (non-space) data.
Co-financed by the European Space Agency and the European Union, this mission allocated 3.2 million euros to the Portuguese company to develop components for satellites.
Copernicus is the most relevant mission for the coming years, since satellite data is used in maritime and air navigation, science, surveillance, security control and telecommunications. As an example, all the ships and planes in the world are covered in real time,” he highlighted.
The asset of Active Space Technologies, which has fifty workers, “is in its ‘know how’, in the brutal facilities and in a very well prepared team”.
“We are going to hire five more people, to face the projects that will come to this company, which in addition to space, also has the automation area. Basically, they are complementary areas”, said the company’s CEO.
The automation area was rethought in 2020 and it is the area with which they hope to increase their turnover, thanks to the product portfolio they already have, among which are four models of AGV – Self-Guided Vehicles.
Active Space Technologies recorded a turnover of 3.2 million euros last year, estimating to end the year 2022 with a turnover of 3.5 to 3.8 million euros.
“In 2025 we hope to reach five million euros. We are building a robot, which is a new generation of AGVs, with artificial intelligence, which in addition to carrying weight, has the possibility of having a disinfection tower in hospitals or logistics spaces”, he revealed.
This robot, financed 100% with capital from Grupo Bel, was designed during the pandemic, by the innovation department, precisely to diversify the company’s product portfolio.
“It is in the testing phase and we hope to present it soon,” he concluded.
Source: Observadora
